


Bludgers and Broken Noses

by everAcclimating



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, Quidditch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-31
Updated: 2012-03-31
Packaged: 2017-11-02 19:06:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/372322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/everAcclimating/pseuds/everAcclimating
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Albus and Scorpius are both Slytherins and Albus plays the hell out of Quidditch as a Beater.</p><p>He's not immune to getting hit himself, though.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bludgers and Broken Noses

The first time that Albus Severus' nose gets broken is during a fifth year Quidditch match. The opposing team's beaters have been remarkably vicious this cold and clear afternoon; especially so for the fact that they're Hufflepuffs.

Albus can't help but notice it but doesn't pay much attention beyond that - if they've got Billywigs in their bonnets over something it's no problem of his but for smacking the bludgers back a bit harder than normal. Though, he considers briefly, if they had Billywigs in their bonnets about anything they'd be a sight more pleasant to be around.

They're ahead (of course) but if Hufflepuff manages to get the snitch, they'll lose (isn't that how it always goes). It's been a long match and they're all getting tired (and hungry, and freezing, and annoyed) so honestly, he just wants the bleeding seeker to grab the snitch already.

What gets him is surely an illegal move, in his humble opinion - he's rocketing after a bludger to bat it away from one of their catchers when an opposing beater appears out of nowhere and slams it with all his might - straight at Albus.

Okay, that's not technically an illegal move. _But it should be._

It catches him off guard is what it does - he tries to get out of the way but only manages to move a little before it's hitting him in the face nearly sidelong with a horrible cracking sound. There's a terrifying moment where he teeters on his broom - he almost falls but not quite, gloved grip holding tight as he leans forward to keep his balance.

"Fuck," he mutters thickly, bat held close to his chest for a moment before he straightens. He can see Rosie's expression from this distance, even - she looks horrified, and perhaps rightly so.

He grins at her - it hurts to move his face, but, well, that can't be helped.

(Technically it can, but he's ignoring the referee trying to wave him to the ground. Bugger off, buddy. And honestly, the guy gives up pretty damn quickly.)

He can tell he's bleeding - taste it, and he has to keep his head tipped forward a little to keep it from running down his throat. It hurts but not as much as it did at first, and he turns to glare at their seeker and gesture him to fucking fly, already. "Catch the fucking snitch so we can get this over with!"

It's less scary than it could have been, what with sounding kind of like he's yelling through a mouthful of mud and the fact that he's further away than is readily audible. But it does the job and he only has to spend another fifteen minutes or so circling the pitch and smacking bludgers about one-handed because he's keeping a death grip on his broom with the other.

It's their seeker that grabs it, finally - and when Albus touches down on the grass they've won, but Rosie and Lily (and Scorpius, he notes) are waiting for him and both cousin and sister start in on him for not coming down immediately.

He tunes it out, grinning again - his teeth are probably red too, but hey. The referee and one of the witches from the medical wing are hurrying toward him and he almost wants to grab Scorpius and bolt but he stays put, if only so he won't hear it from home too.

It's not long before he's dragged in to be checked out - a few minutes maybe, and he's mostly annoyed that he's missing the victory celebration. He feels a little better with Scorpius along, though maybe he should feel bad (he doesn't).

He listens kind of dimly to the mediwitch berating him for being stupid (that's not new), but when she says the word 'crooked' he snaps to attention. She's already been working on him - the pain is gone, that's for sure - but his eyes narrow.

"What?"

"I said, your nose is staying crooked. I can't do a thing for that."

Oh.

Well then. He stays in stunned silence for a moment and, now that he's all healed and cleaned up - hell, that hurt more than the rest - they leave them. Apparently he's lucky he's not getting a detention for skirting authority.

"I need a mirror," he states suddenly, sitting up more on the bed and scowling. "My dashingly handsome face had best not be ruined."

"I think it gives you character," Scorpius says, and Albus can see that there's dark amusement in his eyes. "Besides, you're not the only Albus to have a crooked nose."

That draws laughter from him, real and deep, and he flops back onto the pillow with a grunt. "Character, huh. Maybe it'll help with the ladies. Make me all mysterious."

"Yeah, mysterious and stupid."

(And that's how Scorpius got hit with a pillow.)


End file.
